Notar means 'to notice', and it is a regular -ar verb useful for description and reflection. Noté un cambio (I noticed a change), se nota que estás cansado (you can tell you're tired). The impersonal se nota que… ('you can tell that…') is a particularly natural, idiomatic structure worth having. Because noticing details adds depth to descriptive and narrative writing, notar is a handy verb. As a regular -ar verb the conjugation is predictable. Take care not to confuse it with the English 'note down', which is apuntar or anotar.
Quick facts
Notar (to notice) is a regular -ar verb.
Real sentences across different tenses — the kind of thing you'd actually say or write.
Noté un cambio (I noticed a change).
Se nota que… (you can tell that…).
Adds depth to descriptive writing.
For that, use apuntar / anotar.
Fixed expressions worth knowing — they come up in listening, reading and writing tasks.
Idiomatic expressions
notar is a regular -ar verb — it follows the standard -ar pattern in every tense. That makes it a good one to drill: if you know notar, you know the template for all regular -ar verbs.
Type conjugations from memory and get instant feedback. That's how you actually build the automatic recall the exam needs — not from reading tables.
Practice notar now →Three questions, no account needed. Type the form, then press Enter or tap Check.
yo: noto, tú: notas, él: nota, nosotros: notamos, vosotros: notáis, ellos: notan
The past participle is notado (he notado) and the gerund is notando (estoy notando).
Verbs that are easy to confuse with notar or that behave like it.
Notar is on the AQA, Edexcel and Eduqas GCSE Spanish vocabulary lists. Compare the exam boards.
Written by Daniel Holmes for GCSE & A-Level Spanish students.